British energy giant BP today admitted that more oil than it estimated is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico as oil arrived on the shores of Louisiana for the first time.
Talking to reporters, a spokesman of BP Mark Proegler said a mile-long tube inserted into a leaking pipe over the weekend is now capturing 210,000 gallons daily.
Several experts said that the amount coming out of the exploded oil well is still much higher than the official estimates. On his part, Proegler said the 210,000 gallons has always been just an estimate because it is very tough to measure the amount of oil gushing from the seafloor.
The well blew out last month on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, killing 11 workers.
Louisana Gov. Bobby Jindal yesterday declared that the oil has touched the wetland and it is much heavier than an oily sheen seen before.
"This is the heavy oil that everyone's been fearing that is here now," Jindal said during a boat tour. The wetlands at the mouth of the Mississippi are very important for ecological balance because they are home to rare birds, mammals and a wide variety of marine life.
